Manufacturing Engineer

Xona is building the next generation of satellite navigation — a high-performance, resilient alternative to GPS powered by a commercial constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. We are on a mission to unlock a new era of autonomy, advanced mobility, and infrastructure resilience by delivering precise, secure, and robust positioning services to the world.?

We’re not here to incrementally improve GNSS. We’re here to?redefine it from the ground up.?

We’re looking for a Manufacturing Engineer to develop the satellite manufacturing and assembly processes and supporting systems. You will own the continuous improvement of the manufacturing and assembly processes and procedures. You will work closely with the Engineering and Operations team members to drive best practice production methodologies to a rapidly scaling start-up.

This is a hands-on role, that will have input into many facets of the production process: Safety, facilities, equipment selection, maintenance, tooling, digital systems, procedures, materials, performance tracking and optimization.

What You’ll Do:

• Manage the MBOM for the Xona satellite.
• Build and optimize the digital work instructions for all phases of the manufacturing & assembly process.
• Support layout of production line/cell to drive quality, efficiency and standard work, using lean manufacturing methodologies as appropriate.
• Plan, select and implement essential manufacturing equipment, tooling & fixtures, such as holding fixtures, transport fixtures, rotary fixtures, point of use work area equipment, transport systems, gauges, shop aids, etc.
• Be a leading, experienced voice to educate, advocate and incorporate DFX principles from the early design stage gates, through to the full rate production process.
• Support supplier evaluation/vetting/selection/monitoring for critical components and sub-systems, ensuring efficiency, repeatability, scalability and quality of supply.
• Optimize overall value stream for the complete space vehicle, emphasizing velocity and lead time reduction, both internally and supply chain facing.

You Might be a Fit If

• You have experience in higher volume production environments in a complex, Aerospace, Space or Defense business, with end item production rates greater than 2/week.
• You also have experience working from a green field/blank room through to ‘production enabled’ and ‘production ramp-up'
• You’re comfortable in an environment where plans and processes are being developed and iterated in response to customer or market forces. You are able to take this in your stride, maintain progress and adapt to changes quickly and effectively
• You are passionate about optimizing a production and assembly process and have strong instincts for making complex hardware repeatable, high quality and bullet proof.
• You are a self-starter, can utilize CAD tools, enterprise and shop digital systems and are equally comfortable with bench top hand-tools in a controlled, precision assembly and test environment.
• You make weighted judgement calls to maintain quality standards, yet still moving fast and adapting quickly to evolving designs and production, assembly and test methods.

• Full-time,?onsite in Burlingame, California?(this role is not remote or hybrid)?
• To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a?U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual?as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)?

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with rate production of a spacecraft, satellite or complex spacecraft sub-assemblies
• Extensive experience with initiating, optimizing and managing MES systems as part of a digital factory environment. Familiarity with ERP systems, specifically Work Order management, materials management and configuration control.
• You are an experienced six sigma tools practitioner and apply this knowledge to enhance process capability and reduce manufacturing variation.
• Career production experience working both with and without a Quality Management System (QMS) such as AS9100